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2008: The Gore Shadow

The overnight news out of Norway naming eco-warrior Al Gore the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner (along with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) dwarfs all the speculation out there as to whether the new laureate will use this spotlight to announce a run for the White House.

The Times’ Jim Rutenberg says that most signs — including big, obvious ones where Mr. Gore himself denies a desire to run — indicate he won’t go for it. Gossip continues in part because, as Mr. Rutenberg writes, Mr. Gore’s aides “have been coy, refusing to absolutely say ‘no,’ and, in the process, giving the various groups now dedicated to drafting him into the race reason to continue their efforts.”

“Associates of Mr. Gore, however, have said they truly believe he does not want to run but speculate that he does not have reason to tamp down the presidential talk when it serves to keep the focus on him and causes he is pursuing with a perceptibly pure heart — a perception that could change with a presidential run.”

Mr. Gore released a statement this morning that, of course, did not address all the DraftGore fans: “I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize,” Gore said in an e-mail message. “We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.”

Time magazine’s Eric Pooley, who wrote a May cover story on the former vice president, weighs in on a possible Gore run and sees it as a step backward for someone who’s now on the world stage.

“Sure, he’d say he was doing it because he feels a moral obligation to intervene in a time of unparalleled crisis. But running for president is by definition an act of hubris, and Gore has spent the past couple of years defying his ego and sublimating himself to a larger goal. Running for president would mean returning to a role he’d already transcended. He’d turn into — again — just another politician, when a lot of people thought he might be something better than that.”

The question of whether he’ll endorse someone in the Democratic field remains another lingering issue, and takes on added meaning with his Nobel stature.
Aside from the Al Gore news avalanche, Republican Senator John McCain is grabbing headlines in Iowa after rolling out his tax credit-based health plan there yesterday. The Des Moines Register writes:

“Once the national front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination, McCain faces an uphill battle to regain his momentum in Iowa and other states. But his advisers believe that the health care plan, much of which would take years to implement, will appeal to Iowa Republicans because of its emphasis on competition, personal responsibility and improving care, rather than proposing government intervention.”

Mr. McCain likely will discuss it again at a stop in Dubuque today. He’s also the featured newsmaker on the National Journal On Air segment, which will be broadcast today at 1 p.m. on XM channel 130 and will be streaming live at http://nationaljournal.com/onair/.

Senators Joe Biden and Sam Brownback are also in Iowa today—together. The Delaware Democrat and Kansas Republican will present their bipartisan plan for Iraq to a crowd in Des Moines.

Senator Barack Obama will be speaking about the war in Iraq again today, in a speech at Drake University in Iowa. The Boston Globe rolls out another segment of its “Defining Moments” on the presidential candidates; this one examines how Mr. Obama’s loss in a congressional race in 2000 proved pivotal in his political career.

Republican hopeful Rudy Giuliani wraps up his tour of South Carolina today and will appear at a fundraiser in Mobile, Ala., tonight.

In New Hampshire, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gov. Bill Richardson talked education yesterday, touting pieces of their proposals. The Times’s Julie Bosman captured their pitches on college tuition:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, on a two-day swing through New Hampshire, promised to provide students with a $3,500 tuition tax credit and increase Pell grants, which help middle- and low-income students pay for college.

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, campaigning nearby in Manchester, N.H., also addressed the issue of college costs, proposing that students be made eligible for two years of free tuition at a public university for every year they devote to public service.

New Hampshire is on the minds of many with its early primary, and no more so than with today’s headline in the Washington Post. Bill Gardner, New Hampshire’s most-watched secretary of state, now could set his state’s primaries as early as Dec. 11 to keep its edge as first in the nation:

“I have a lot of discretion,” said Bill Gardner, the 16-term secretary of state of New Hampshire, who is invested with what amounts to dictatorial power to set the date under state law. ‘We are prepared, if it needs to be early December, it can be early December.’”

That’s two months from now, people.

The Post also dissects some earmark projects by Republican candidate Ron Paul and Democrats Barack Obama and Senator Clinton. But there’s also good news for Mrs. Clinton this morning — she appears to have the endorsement of former vice president Walter Mondale.

I believe that global warming is a good thing. In Vietman it is hot everyday and I like it. We have plenty of mangoes on the trees and lots of bananas too. Plus I never have to worry about my car battery dying. Please tell your Mr. Gore to stop making a big deal about global tempurature increases.

Al Gore-great man- by his own assessment -terrible politician-
The thought of an Al Gore candidacy is far better than the reality- Let him continue the good work he started many years ago- We need to deal with reality right now-not dreams-

I can see why the DraftGore people would want him to run, but why would Gore want to? Why would he want the tsoris? Why remind us that he gave Joe Liebermann a national forum? That alone is more than enough of a burden for one man to bear. Besides, he seems to be doing well enough as is. Draft Goldwater/Miller08.

As a degreed meteorologist, I have studied the greenhouse effect and global warming scientifically since 1982. I am happy that Mr. Gore is dedicated to the political impetus needed to wake people up to the facts that we are affecting the global climate and need the political will to address it. However, I am dissappointed that political objectives have pushed to distort some scientfic facts presented in his film. We need people to shoot straight on this issue, not just to be another politician who knows how to sell his cargo.

It is precisely because Al Gore has already transcended the role of President that he makes the best candidate. He is not “just another politician”, he is a statesman. Gore has touched the source of Democratic sentiments in America, including our bitter defeats of the past eight years. There are strong indications that democrats will control a majority in Congress, giving the incoming president enormous power to direct change in our nation. I would trust Gore with that responsibility before any other candidate, period.

I’ve got to disagree with John Gleason. If Gore runs and the Clinton machine starts on him, they’re dead meat. Let’s think this out. What does Al Gore gain by jumping into a race at the late date? Could he pull it off? Big maybe as you have to have organizations on the ground and is 75 million go keep up with Obama and Clinton going to fall out of the sky?

Next question is who will he endorse. Easy answer! The Democratic nominee whomever that may be. Again, he gains nothing by jumping into the present fray.

Al’s on top of the world and probably the most respected American public figure on the planet. Will he be a “player” in the next adminstration if the Democrats win? Definately, but in what position? Who knows, but Secretary of State would be a good fit and sends a loud message to the rest of the world that “heehaw” diplomacy is over.

In short, enjoy this moment Al and thanks. The world knows we have at least one public figure we all can look up to.

Maybe in his December acceptance speech at Stockholm Gore will thank Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy and O’Connor for making this award possible. Without their non-partisan intervention in 2000, he probably would have been less the Paul Revere and more the second-term wise man who these days would be preventing middle east wars, providing health care for children and maintaining above average standards for honesty in government.

He’s scheduled a news conference for three hours from now. Which probably means he’ll make a strong statement about not accepting a presidential draft. If he thought otherwise, and had decided to make a late run at the nomination, he’d wait to face the press until his plans and objectives were more settled. As it is, he knows that most of the questions today will be about his willingness to accept a draft or his endorsement of somebody else.
That’s he’s prepared to answer questions that will sound like ultimatums all points to a Sherman-like answer, “If drafted I will not…,” etc.

The phony two-party corporate Empire’s political machine in “Vichy America” is done — you can stick a fork in it. And the only segment that doesn’t understand the deceit of this contrived facade of the corporate Empire’s scripted election plans for ’08 is the MSM.

If the French could throw out the “Vichy France” phony government that the Nazi Empire had installed, we Americans can certainly throw out the more sophisticated facade of the “Vichy American” phony two-party government that the global corporate Empire has installed over our democracy.

What saddens me is the inevitable vitriol that will be poured onto this honor by so many on the right. When an American wins the Nobel, it ought to be a day of national pride. But when the winner is Jimmy Carter and Al Gore, the order of the day in some quarters is to trash the winners, the Nobels, the Norwegian Parliament, Habitat for Humanity, Africa, the entire reputable scientific community, Rosalynn, Tipper, anybody ever afflicted by guinea worm, and the polar bear. At the Hoover Institution the other day, a “scholar” issued a paper worthy of a snarky high school student to the effect that global warming is just a plot by liberals to take over all our lives, that liberals love global warming, that it’s not a problem, that even if it were a problem there’d be no solution, so we just shouldn’t worry about it. That’s from a “think tank”? No wonder the students and faculty at Stanford want to push that outfit out to sea.

Al’s right.
You can expect high waves in the West.
More snow in the Rockies.
Rain in the Plains, mainly.
High Winds in the Southeast and maybe as far south as Jamaica.
Warm breezes on the Atlantic coast.
Low hanging clouds elsewhere.

Al Gore is not going to run for president. He doesn’t like politics. He only got into politics because of his dad. He was always destined for something else. In 2004, the democrat party leadership and the big money people behind the scenes didn’t want any part of Al Gore. They wouldn’t finance him. Whats changed? Gore would have beaten Bush. Instead they wanted to wait on Hillary. They knew Kerry would lose. Well are they happy now? Why do they always try to control? It works against them.

Gore is staying at the St.Regis Hotel here in San Francisco after attending a fund raising for Senator Barbara Boxer and was awakened at 2 am to the news that he’d won the Nobel Prize shared with the UN group.

A popular news radio station immediately did a nonscientific call in : Should Al run for President ? The results ? 64% yes and 35 % no.
He’s giving a press conference at 1030 am.

This is Gore’s moment. I am so happy for him and his family. He announced he is giving his prize money to some environmental group.

Al Gore wins something called the Nobel “Peace” prize for serving as the high priestess of an earth worshipping, socialist religious cult and promoting his thoroughly discredited, most holy religious sacrament, to wit: the “global warming” hoax? Interesting.

Why Al Gore got the prize is beyond me. I feel that the issue of global warming was well on its way to becoming a household topic of conversation long before Al Gore came along. Also, the fact that Al Gore didn’t even mention the other cause of global warming, meat consumption, tells me quite a bit about the true depth of his knowledge concerning the subject.

Kudos to Eric Pooley who said, “But running for president is by definition an act of hubris, and Gore has spent the past couple of years defying his ego and sublimating himself to a larger goal. Running for president would mean returning to a role he’d already transcended.”

I don’t think he’s “defying his ego” and if he does decide to run, then that will add fuel (pun intended) to the speculation that, with the help of some networking and Hollywood filmmakers, the Nobel prize committee can be an essential arm of any run for political office.

Meanwhile, Thich Quang Do remains under house arrest.

Mr. Gore, if you do decide to run, I think you better think about how it feels to be imprisoned for 25 years and placed under house arrest for the crime of your conscience.

But then again, maybe, if elected, you could do something to help put more pressure on the Viet Namese and Burmese governments to do something about their human rights records?

Gore calls Obama, offers him the vice presidency, Obama accepts (realizing he’s lost to Clinton), they pool their resources, and all of a sudden Gore has both the most money and an organization in the early states. Bye-bye Clinton.

Hillary is not happy about this. Gore could easily establish a Third Party that would nominate a candidate. A Gore-Bloomberg-Arnooolllddd alliance may be in the offing. Enough of the Bush/Clinton years-please exit stage right!

That Gore should will the Nobel Peace Prize confirms for me the obvious need we have in the United States for leadership that can think globally. While Gore might make a great president, he’s not running, and the only candidate that seems to be thinking globally is Barack Obama.

We need to stop worrying about whether our politicians wear an American flag lapel pin, and stop chanting “God Bless America,” and start saying “God Bless the Earth” like we want it to continue to be inhabitable. The Cold War is over, the U.S. economy is indelibly tied to the world economy, and we need to engage in conversations with all nations of the world, whether they’re on Goerge Bush’s list of evil-doers or not, about issues related to global climate change, the economy and peace. This is the only way our children and grandchildren will survive on this planet.

President Obama drew criticism on Thursday when he said, “we don’t have a strategy yet,” for military action against ISIS in Syria. Lawmakers will weigh in on Mr. Obama’s comments on the Sunday shows.Read more…